Showing posts with label EPA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EPA. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

EPA probe faults Navy on Red Hill, Kauai kids confront VP Harris on fuel leaks, sweepstakes machine distributor sues Honolulu police for gambling raid, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Navy water operators unprepared despite fuel leak risks, EPA reports. The Navy potentially violated numerous state and federal laws relating to safe drinking water in its operation and maintenance of its Joint Base Pearl Harbor- Hickam public water system, an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

State Rep. Patrick Branco’s future uncertain following congressional loss. State Rep. Patrick Branco is supporting former rival state Sen. Jill Tokuda in her congressional campaign and serves as an unpaid volunteer in Lt. Gov. Josh Green’s run to become Hawaii’s next governor as Branco’s own political future is now uncertain after election commercials on his behalf linked Tokuda to the National Rifle Association while showing images of the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre. Star-Advertiser.

Schools Add Emotional Development To The Curriculum. Hawaii educators hope new initiatives and programs will help students recover from social and academic setbacks during the pandemic. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kaiser’s mental health shortage puts patient safety at risk, national agency finds. Kaiser hasn’t denied it has a shortage of mental health specialists, but has stressed that those shortages exist nationwide and were exacerbated by the pandemic. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Distributor sues HPD over damage to dozens of sweepstakes machines. After a bitter, decade-long legal and political battle, the Hawaii distributor of sweepstakes gaming machines is suing the HPD for damaging his equipment. The lawsuit alleges that when Honolulu police seized PJY Enteprises LLC’s 77 sweepstakes machines in 2012, the machines were new and in working condition. Hawaii News Now.

Feds add more spy allegations against Kapolei couple. After backing off on some spy allegations against a Kapolei couple, federal prosecutors are stepping it up by releasing transcripts of the couple’s recorded conversations. KHON2. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Council to consider settling police brutality lawsuit: Puna mother claims excessive force, ADA violations against autistic son. A federal lawsuit claiming police brutality and failure to accommodate under the Americans with Disabilities Act appears headed for settlement by the County Council. West Hawaii Today.

Kehena victim was musician, artist, ‘peacemaker’. “He was the quintessential Puerto Rican renaissance man.” That’s how Bub Pratt, entertainer and owner of Kukuau Studio in Hilo, described Gabriel DeSilva, a 72-year-old Pahoa man police said was the victim of a possible drowning Sunday morning at Kehena Beach in Puna. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiʻi County Police K9, Rory, Retires. The springer spaniel has worked as a narcotics canine for the Area II (west Hawai‘i) Vice Section since 2015. Big Island Video News. Tribune-Herald. KITV4.

Maui

Wastewater Company At Center Of Bribery Scandal Won Big Maui Contracts. H2O Process Systems was awarded millions of dollars in sole source contracts for upgrades and replacement parts for Maui County’s wastewater system. Civil Beat.

Resident input sought for planning of 3.6 miles of Honoapiʻilani, Lahaina to Kāʻanapali.
The County of Maui has launched the West Maui Community Corridor Transit-Oriented Development Action Plan to advance strategies for a transit-oriented community in West Maui. Maui Now.

Open house planned for release of draft South Maui Community Plan Update. The Maui County Planning Department will host an open house for the release of the first draft of the updated South Maui Community Plan on from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, at the Kīhei Community Center. Maui Now.

Thousands on Maui without power early Tuesday morning. According to Hawaiian Electric, crews are currently working to restore power to parts of South Maui, West Maui, Kahului, Wailuku, Waihee and Waiehu, Upcountry and East Maui. KITV4. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kauai 8th graders confront Vice President Kamala Harris over Red Hill. Throughout Vice President Kamala Harris' vacation on the Garden Isle, groups like the Oahu Water Protectors have held up signs near her Kalihiwai Ridge vacation home, urging more action on the Red Hill water crisis. KITV4.

Jason Momoa TV series seeks Kaua‘i talent. A project spearheaded by actor Jason Momoa is filming on Kaua‘i this fall — and they need local talent. Garden Island.

Fall semester kicks off at Kaua‘i Community College. All Kaua‘i Community College students are welcomed to “E Komo Mai,” presented by the Associated Students of the University of Hawai‘i-Kaua‘i Community College, Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the area fronting the campus Learning Center. Garden Island.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Trump names former Hawaii AG Bennett to Court of Appeals, Syngenta settles with EPA, Mauna Kea telescopes stir hot debate in Legislature, Maui ferry not feasible, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

courtesy Monsanto
Farming, courtesy Monsanto
Concerned residents from Maui and Kauai are set to testify in support of a pesticide regulation bill at the State Capitol requiring companies to alert the public before chemicals are sprayed. The Senate committees on Agriculture and Environment and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health are expected to make a decision Wednesday. KITV.

President Donald Trump has nominated former Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett to the Hawaii seat of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Star-Advertiser.

This Trump Pick Wins Rare Applause from Hawaii’s Democratic Senators. Mark Bennett, the former state attorney general, has been nominated for the Hawaii seat on U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Civil Beat.

Today President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate an eleventh wave of judicial nominees including the nomination of former Hawaii Attorney General Mark J. Bennett as a Circuit Judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Maui Now.

Report: Public Is Being Shut Out On Critical State Information. A new study by a public interest law firm says Hawaii is the worst in the nation when it comes to timely decisions on open records and open meetings issues. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s largest public pension fund lost about 6 percent of its value in the recent stock market correction. The Employees' Retirement System Star-Advertiser.

Bill Would Require Insurance Coverage Of Emergency Flights To Mainland. Patients who need to travel quickly for organ transplants can pay from $80,000 to $130,000 for air ambulance service. Civil Beat.

Hawaii lawmakers are pursuing legislation that would update the state’s disaster preparedness protocols after the false ballistic missile alert last month. Tribune-Herald.

DOE could be sued over lack of female locker rooms – a violation of federal law. The ACLU has given DOE a deadline of one month to come up with a plan to provide all student athletes equal access to locker rooms. Hawaii News Now.

University of Hawaii Cancer Center researchers are seeking legislative funding for a three-year study to determine why Hawaii has one of the highest rates of liver cancer in the country. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii regulators approve revised tariffs for Hawaiian Electric rate increase. Pacific Business News.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution, traveled across Hawaii this past weekend to promote citizen engagement, grassroots organizing, and efforts to reform and strengthen democracy and the Democratic Party. Garden Island.

Oahu


Development Lobbyist Failed To Register With Honolulu Ethics Commission. David Arakawa hadn’t registered to lobby at Honolulu Hale for at least five years. And then a reporter asked him about it. Civil Beat.

Moratorium on ‘monster homes’ faces final vote. A final vote on a bill placing a temporary moratorium on large-scale homes is scheduled for today, and Honolulu City Council members have been getting mounting pressure from both opponents and supporters of the “monster houses” legislation. Star-Advertiser.

Several bills were introduced at this year’s state Legislature to address concerns about large-scale houses. Star-Advertiser.

Bill would prevent sweep of Waianae homeless camp. Star-Advertiser.

Family members of a man who says four officers forced him to lick a urinal allege the extent of the abuse is worse than first reported. Hawaii News Now.

Should buses and other large vehicles be kept out of the freeway’s fast lane? KHON2.

Third Deedy trial pushed back as attorney prepares federal appeal. There's another delay in the latest trial of a State Department special agent who fatally shot a man inside a Waikiki McDonald's in 2011. Hawaii News Now.

Number of Honolulu Zoo exhibits & visitors going up. KITV.

Honolulu has been named one of the healthiest cities in the United States, according to a new report. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Bill would create new authority to run Mauna Kea. Senate Bill 3090, sponsored by state Sen. Kaiali‘i Kahele (D, Hilo) and 16 other lawmakers, would establish the Mauna Kea Management Authority as a way of installing “fresh leadership” and “a new model of governance.” Star-Advertiser.

Heated discussion at the State Capitol Monday, over a bill calling for the removal of the board that manages Mauna Kea. That board is currently run by the University of Hawaii. KITV.

Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim appeared today in Honolulu for the committee hearing on the controversial Senate Bill 3090, which would upend the way Mauna Kea is currently managed. Big Island Video News.

Kahele Grills OMKM Director Nagata Over Bulldozed Ahu. Big Island Video News.

Amid TMT dispute, lawmakers look to establish new body to manage Mauna Kea. Hawaii News Now.

Homeless Villages proposal up against deadline. The program would fund 50 homeless units — 25 at two sites in Kailua-Kona and Hilo, respectively — as well as two homeless assessment centers and supportive services under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s preferred Housing First model. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County and Hawaiian Earth Recycling continue to hammer out the details of a new agreement after Mayor Harry Kim nixed plans to build a composting facility in a quarry near the Hilo landfill. Tribune-Herald.

This Hilo Community Fears Its ‘Toxic’ Neighbors. With a nearby airport, landfill, sewage plant, port and petroleum tanks, Hawaiian Homestead residents in Keaukaha want health concerns addressed. Civil Beat.

Hawaii County’s Mayor has about three weeks to send a budget to the County Council. Since 2000, the budget has increased more than 250 percent. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hilton Waikola Village recently became the first resort on the Big Island to discontinue the use of plastic straws and replace them with a compostable, paper alternative. Pacific Business News.

Maui

A ferry system to relieve Lahaina-bound traffic jams and shuttle sports teams within Maui County isn’t in the cards, at least for now. Maui News.

Greg Kaufman, founder of the 38-year-old Pacific Whale Foundation and a pioneer of whale watching on Maui, died Saturday. Maui News.

Pacific Whale Foundation today confirmed the passing of founder and executive director, Greg Kaufman. Maui Now.

Kauai

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Syngenta Seeds LLC have reached a settlement concerning safety violations affecting field workers on Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

EPA Settles Syngenta Pesticide Claim For Pennies On The Dollar. The GMO company will pay $150,000 instead of the $4.8 million that had been sought for exposing Kauai workers to pesticides. Civil Beat.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came to an agreement Monday with Syngenta Seeds, LLC, to resolve violations of federal pesticide regulations at its farm in Kekaha. Garden Island.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with Syngenta Seeds to resolve violations of federal pesticide regulations at its farm in Kekaha, Kauai. Pacific Business News.

The Kauai County Council recently voted six to one to adopt the County’s General Plan. Garden Island.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Unemployment hits low 3%, judge rules against Thirty Meter Telescope lease, more Honolulu rail delays, EPA seeks $5M fines against Syngenta, Maui to revisit big salary hikes, lawmakers question rape test kit backlog, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2016 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Shoppers in Waikiki © 2016 All Hawaii News
Hawaii’s unemployment rate fell for the fourth straight month and hit 3 percent in November, the lowest level since October 2007, according to data released Thursday by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Star-Advertiser.

The state's labor department says Hawaii's unemployment rate fell to a nine-year-low of 3 percent last month. Associated Press.

Three months ago Gov. David Ige told attendees at an international conference on conservation that he would like to see Hawaii double its food production by the year 2020. Civil Beat.

State lawmakers were briefed today on the status of sexual assault kits that have not been tested and county plans to resolve the backlogs. Hawaii Public Radio.

With President Barack Obama set to arrive Friday for vacation on Oahu, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is making another push for his administration to ease the anticipated impacts of the newly expanded Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument on Hawaii’s $100 million commercial fishing industry. Civil Beat.

Mounting legal costs and allegations of wasteful spending are being lobbed by both sides of a bitterly divided Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and some say the Hawaiian community is paying the price. KHON2.

Hawaii is launching several new projects and implementing new rules aimed at addressing concerns about pesticide exposure. Associated Press.

Oahu

Honolulu’s rail system could face further delays if Hitachi Rail Italy can’t fix a newly discovered glitch in its train cars before tests scheduled to start next year, project officials say. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell made a surprise visit to the board of directors of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation on Thursday and cautioned that “there will be more problems” in the city’s troubled 20-mile, 21-station rail project. Civil Beat.

A former Honolulu police officer plans to plead guilty Friday to felony conspiracy. Niall Silva is one of the officers recently named in a civil lawsuit filed by Gerard Puana against Honolulu police chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, Katherine, a city deputy prosecutor and Puana’s niece. KHON2.

In newly-released court records, a federal prosecutor indicates the police chief's wife, Katherine Kealoha, was deeply involved in an effort to frame her uncle by faking the theft of her mailbox. Hawaii News Now.

Last month’s sewage spill near Ko Olina may have gone undetected for a full day before city officials responded. KHON2.

Kerzner International's first Atlantis resort in the United States is coming to the 642-acre Ko Olina Resort in West Oahu and will include a total of 1,324 hotel rooms and luxury residences, an aquarium, a wedding chapel and a water park. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

A Hilo Circuit Court judge on Thursday overturned the state’s approval of the Thirty Meter Telescope’s sublease for Mauna Kea. Tribune-Herald.

A Circuit Court judge ruled Thursday that the state Board of Land and Natural Resources should have held a contested case hearing before it consented to a sublease between the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the Thirty Meter Telescope. Star-Advertiser.

The state’s approval of a sublease between the University of Hawai’i and the Thirty Meter Telescope has been thrown out in court. Big Island Video News.

The land board is waiting on the Banyan Drive Hawaii Redevelopment Agency before it decides what to do with the Pagoda property. Here is what new mayor Harry Kim says about the agency and the Banyan Drive situation. Big Island Video News.

Six County Council members have dipped into contingency funds to help pay for an overhaul of the Fire Department’s primary West Hawaii rescue boat. West Hawaii Today.

A conservation story nearly two decades in the making entered its latest chapter Wednesday with the release of five young ‘alala into the wild. Tribune-Herald.

When Kona Brewing Co. opens its new facility in 2018, the brewery won’t only dramatically increase its capacity to brew more beer, it’ll also include new features designed to reduce waste and improve efficiency. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The Maui County Salary Commission will meet Dec. 23 for a special meeting to once again take up pay raises for Mayor Alan Arakawa and top appointees in his administration. Maui News.

A Maui County Council committee is calling for ending a parking lot concession on county property in Lahaina by the Friends of Moku’ula, questioning the group’s financial management and its responsiveness to community and council inquiries. Maui News.

The permitting process for the next phase of the Lahaina bypass, from the Olowalu landfill to Hokiokio Place, continues to move forward as the project’s construction date approaches next month. Maui News.

A tentative agreement has been reached for Maui County to pay $9.5 million for Wailuku Water Co.’s ditch system and 8,764 acres of its West Maui Mountains watershed lands. Maui News.

Eight hours of face-to-face deliberations between officials and supporters of the Maui Veterans Cemetery and the Makawao Cemetery Association on Tuesday appear to have resolved a dispute that at times has led to a contentious relationship between neighbors over the past few years. Maui News.

Kauai

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is suing a Kauai seed company over the protection of agricultural workers at its crop research farm in connection with a medical emergency in January when 10 people were treated at a hospital. Star-Advertiser.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday filed a complaint alleging that Syngenta Kauai violated “numerous federal pesticide regulations” meant to protect agricultural workers at its crop research farm in Kekaha. Civil Beat.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking nearly $5 million in fines against a unit of the Swiss chemical giant Syngenta for the company’s alleged violations of pesticide regulations in Hawaii. Associated Press.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is suing Syngenta Seeds over an incident early this year on Kauai. Garden Island.

The Wailua Golf Course will soon be able to sell alcohol to players on the links. The Kauai County Council on Wednesday voted 6-1 to pass Bill No. 2635 allows the sale of alcohol via roving concessions. Garden Island.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Legislative panel mulls more money for jails, universities, tourism; EPA fines Puna Geothermal Ventures; Honolulu council spars over rail tax cap; Kona courthouse out for bid; task force formed to help displaced Maui sugar workers; more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2016 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Hawaii Community Correctional Center © 2016 All Hawaii News
Hawaii’s overburdened jail facilities could get $45 million for expansion under Gov. David Ige’s supplemental budget proposal. The governor’s plan calls for the Hawaii Department of Public Safety to pump $15 million to each of the three jails on the neighbor islands — the Hawaii Community Correctional Center, the Kauai Community Correctional Center and the Maui Community Correctional Center — to make more room for inmates. On Thursday, members of the House and Senate public safety committees will hold an informational briefing to learn more about the department’s plan for such a move. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers don’t appear eager to deliver the more than $16 million the University of Hawaii says it needs for operations next year. Star-Advertiser.

A bill expected to be introduced in the Hawaii Legislature this year would offer universal long-term care to the state’s senior citizens. Civil Beat.

The state legislative money committees are continuing their pre-session supplemental budget hearings this week. Today, the focus was on business, economic development and tourism. Hawaii Public Radio.

In a move that will likely make it easier for citizens and the media to follow their state government, the Hawaii Legislature plans to launch a video-on-demand channel. Civil Beat.

State Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland wants to tap “the wisdom of the Hawaiian people” to come up with environmentally friendly and low-cost ways to house some of Hawaii’s homeless, possibly in rural, agricultural areas. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmakers are considering using traditional Native Hawaiian housing to house the homeless. Thatched huts, though they don’t necessarily need to be thatched. KITV4.

A new report by the state breaks down just how much a person needs to earn to live in Hawaii. In 2014 statewide, about 18.5 percent of couples with no children, 45.5 percent of couples with two children, and 45.3 percent of single adults had incomes below the self-sufficiency standard. KHON2.

Hawaiian Airlines employees represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have ratified tentative five-year contracts with the airline. Pacific Business News.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has awarded $500,000 in support of the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress to be held in Hawaii later this year. Garden Island.

A presently creeping section of the Aleutian subduction zone fault could potentially generate an earthquake great enough to send a large tsunami across the Pacific to Hawaii according to recent fieldwork in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Garden Island.

Oahu

Gov. David Ige’s administration hopes to fast-track relocation of the Oahu Community Correctional Center, the state’s largest prison, as public safety officials continue to grapple with perpetual overcrowding and deteriorating conditions. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu City Council leaders continue to seek a cap on the amount of general excise tax surcharge money that can go toward the construction of the contentious, 20-mile rail transit project. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council Committee on Executive Matters and Legal Affairs adopted a resolution Tuesday to study public electrical utility ownership as a potential alternative to NextEra Energy Inc.’s purchase of Hawaiian Electric Industries. Star-Advertiser.

Two months after obtaining building waivers and exemptions from the Honolulu City Council in exchange for constructing a mostly affordable 45-story residential tower, a Kakaako developer wants to alter the agreement. Star-Advertiser.

The deaths of at least three albatrosses and the destruction of 15 nests at Kaena Point last month may have been caused by teenagers. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that Puna Geothermal Venture agreed to pay a civil penalty of $76,500 for chemical safety violations the EPA uncovered in a 2013 inspection. Tribune-Herald.

Puna Geothermal Venture has entered into a consent agreement taking steps to prevent accidental releases of hydrogen sulfide gases and settling safety violations with a fine of $76,500, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Star-Advertiser.

Puna Geothermal Venture, the operator of Hawaii’s sole geothermal power plant on the Big Island, has been fined $76,500 for Clean Air Act chemical safety violations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday. Civil Beat.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement today with Puna Geothermal Venture for Clean Air Act chemical safety violations that occurred three years ago at the energy plant in Pohoiki. Big Island Video News.

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With a proclamation Tuesday from auctioneer Antonio Roldan, a historic North Kona church was saved to continue hosting religious services another day. West Hawaii Today.

The astronomy community in Hawaii has taken its lumps over the past year, from the Native Hawaiian-led rebellion against the Thirty Meter Telescope to the state Supreme Court ruling invalidating the project’s construction. Now the observatory community on Mauna Kea is fighting back. And it begins Saturday. For the first time in its 50-year history, the world-class telescopes on Hawaii’s tallest mountain will be opening their doors to the public for tours. Star-Advertiser.

The Kona Judiciary Complex has been put out for bid, and officials expect to award the $90 million project by the end of March. West Hawaii Today.

A former employee of the county Department of Finance Vehicle Registration and Licensing Division pleaded no contest Tuesday to embezzling from the county. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa said Tuesday that his office and Alexander & Baldwin have created a “sugar operators work assistance task force” to aid more than 600 Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar employees who will be displaced by the closure of A&B’s 36,000-acre plantation on Maui. Pacific Business News.

In conjunction with Alexander & Baldwin, Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa today announced the creation of a task force to assist Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar employees who will be displaced as the plantation ceases sugar operations and transitions to a diversified agriculture model. Maui News.

A task force organized by Mayor Alan Arakawa has been formed to assist more than 650 Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. workers who will be losing their jobs when the plantation shuts down at the end of the year. Maui News.

The Maui Planning Commission approved a two-year permit extension Tuesday for a construction and demolition landfill in Maalaea, giving the site operators until Feb. 1, 2018, to fill and close the landfill. Maui News.

Maui software developer Code Rebel Corp. could be in for a difficult 2016 as it may come under regulatory scrutiny and investors should be cautious about holding shares of the company, according to a report by hedge fund group Dane Capital Management, LLC. Pacific Business News.

A Honolulu-to-Kapalua route and more direct Mainland flights could be headed Maui's way over the next few years as Hawaiian Airlines expands its fleet and operations, said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines and its parent company, Hawaiian Holdings Inc. Maui News.

The president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines says more flights could be headed to Maui over the next few years as the company expands its fleet and operations. Associated Press.

While shovels met the dirt on the site of the long-awaited high school in Kihei on Monday, the celebration was tempered as state and community officials said that there still is much work to be done. Maui News.

Kauai

A recent assessment of residential materials disposed at county refuse transfer stations and in refuse carts has prompted officials to issue a reminder about the proper disposal of household hazardous waste. Garden Island.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Hawaii Rep. Takai diagnosed with pancreatic tumor, Ige and cabinet on the road, $300M lost on Hawaii Obamacare, possible dengue fever on Big Island, group appeals Hawaiian election ruling, Waste Management settles with EPA on landfill charges, no expansion for Molokai national park, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii congressional office courtesy photo
Congressman Takai, courtesy photo
U.S. Rep. Mark Takai has been diagnosed with a small tumor on his pancreas after undergoing tests to determine why he had been experiencing some stomach pain in recent weeks, according to a spokesman. Takai, 48, was elected to his first term in Congress last year representing urban Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Rep. Mark Takai has been diagnosed with a tumor on his pancreas. Civil Beat.

Congressman Takai releases statement on personal health. Takai press release.

Gov. David Ige and members of his cabinet highlighted some of the administration's early achievements tonight — including speeding up the use of federal dollars on transportation projects, closing on the Turtle Bay conservation deal and boosting the state's bond rating — at a community meeting at Windward Community College in Kaneohe. Star-Advertiser.

Nearly 40,000 Hawaii Health Connector enrollments are shifting to the federal healthcare.gov site in a week. Hawaii Health Connector Executive Director Jeff Kissel said $300 million in taxpayer dollars would have been saved if the state had used the federal program to enroll residents. Associated Press.

The Hawaii Department of Health doesn’t plan to hold a public hearing or accept public comments on rules governing the state’s new medical marijuana dispensary system before releasing draft rules by Jan. 4, 2016. That means entrepreneurs will have only a few days to review the rules before applying between Jan. 11 and Jan. 29, for eight coveted licenses to grow and sell medical cannabis. Civil Beat.

Over 60 percent of patients registered for medical marijuana cards in Hawaii are over the age of 56, according to new data revealed by the Department of Health. Scottina Malia Ruis, the agency’s medical marijuana registry coordinator, presented the information during the Hawaii Bar Association’s conference at the Hawaii Convention Center on Friday. Civil Beat.

Last week’s decision by a federal judge to allow the election for delegates to a Native Hawaiian constitutional convention to proceed is being appealed by the Grassroot Institute. Civil Beat.

A federal judge ruled Friday that an election can go forward to choose delegates to draft a document allowing Native Hawaiians to govern themselves. Associated Press.

Kaiser Permanente employees have ratified a new contract that gives 1,900 workers at 22 facilities in Hawaii at 2.5 percent wage increase this year. Star-Advertiser.

Nearly 2,000 Kaiser Permanente employees in Hawaii have ratified a three-year deal with one of its employee unions after three years of bargaining, the union and the health maintenance organization said Monday. Pacific Business News.

Why Is Hawaiian Electric Ready To Cash Out? A company that thrived for more than a century in the islands is ready to sell. It is a good deal for executives and, the power company’s CEO argues, for the rest of us, too. Civil Beat.

A decades-long fight over the future of the aquarium industry’s collecting of fish in Hawaii was renewed last week when two state agencies requested an emergency moratorium on the practice in light of unprecedented coral bleaching. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Rail officials announced Monday that for July, August and September, the transit project will receive $64.8 million from Oahu’s general excise tax surcharge to fund construction. That’s $8.3 million more than what the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation had expected to take in for the quarter, based on the project’s financial plan. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation said Monday that it is $30.5 million behind its projections for revenue from Hawaii’s general excise and use tax surcharge, despite its latest quarterly installment being higher than anticipated. Pacific Business News.

Some 130 people living in three oceanside homeless encampments that grew in size after the city cleared out the adjacent Kakaako makai encampment have at least three more weeks before state sheriff’s deputies push them somewhere else. Star-Advertiser.

A large segment of the homeless population in Kaka’ako has moved to nearby state parks.  In response to this development, the Governor announced plans for a coordinated effort to enforce park closure rules. Hawaii Public Radio.

Two West Oahu nonprofits will receive $100,000 each under the terms of a plea agreement reached between federal prosecutors and Waste Management of Hawaii to settle a case involving the spillage of millions of gallons of contaminated stormwater from the island’s only landfill into the ocean several years ago. Federal prosecutors agreed to drop more serious felony charges against Waste Management and top employees Joe Whelan and Justin Lottig in exchange for their guilty pleas to misdemeanor counts of negligent discharge of pollutants for violating the U.S. Clean Water Act. Star-Advertiser.

Investigators from the state tax, labor and business departments raided construction sites Monday at at least nine boutiques and food establishments near Bloomingdale's in Ala Moana Center’s newest wing, which is still under construction. Ala Moana Center's Ewa Wing Expansion opens Nov. 12.More They were acting on a complaint by the Hawaii Construction Alliance, which represents five unions including the carpenters, after their undercover informants made troubling findings. Hawaii News Now.

Nearly 630 acres of Oahu’s north shore coastline have been preserved from development in perpetuity, thanks to an agreement finalized this week between Turtle Bay Resort and the state of Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

A few months ago the state sent letters to Diamond Head shoreline homeowners asking them to cut back overgrown vegetation encroaching onto the public beach. And they listened. Hawaii News Now.

The U.S. government has agreed to pay $850,000 to settle a man's medical malpractice lawsuit that says prostate cancer surgery at a Honolulu military hospital left him incontinent, impotent and blind. Associated Press.

Hawaii

Mayor Billy Kenoi said Monday no homeless sweeps are planned on the Big Island such as those recently carried out at an encampment in Oahu’s Kakaako neighborhood — or like the ones Gov. David Ige says will take place at two Honolulu parks if individuals and families don’t move soon. Tribune-Herald.

The governor’s coordinator on homelessness said about 45 percent of the $1.3 million Gov. David Ige allocated under an emergency proclamation to address the issue statewide will go to Neighbor Island programs. Tribune-Herald.

The state Department of Health is awaiting test results in two possible cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever on the Big Island. Star-Advertiser.

A desire to save consumers money and reduce their environmental footprint has led the county Department of Water Supply to expand into energy generation, said Keith Okamoto, the department’s manager-chief engineer on Monday night. West Hawaii Today.

They say you can’t fight city hall. But people can — and it seems increasing numbers do — sue their local government. Since 2010, Hawaii County residents have sought redress for everything from an avocado falling from a tree in a county-owned right of way striking a windshield to contracting a flesh-eating bacteria in a county hot pond to vehicle damage from hitting a feral goat on Mamalahoa Highway to fingerprint dust spilled in a burglary victim’s home causing carpet damage to purchasing a grave site that was already occupied. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A lottery for vouchers for federally subsidized rental housing assistance will be held from Monday through Nov. 8, according to an announcement from the Maui County branch of Mental Health America of Hawaii. Maui News.

Currently under new management and with a new name, a film studio in a leased warehouse at the Maui Lani Village Center has lined up at least three film or TV projects starting in early December and running into 2016, Maui County Film Commissioner Tracy Bennett said last week. Maui News.

Kula Produce has begun construction on a new produce facility at the Maui Lani Village Center, which should be completed at the end of 2016. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County learned Monday it landed $13 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funds will be used for the revitalization of the Lihue Town Core. Garden Island.

Colorado-based Timbers Resorts is planning a $750 million to $800 million development of the unfinished Kauai Lagoons master-planned oceanfront community that will include 468 units in a mix of oceanfront and golf course homes, condominium units, hotel and townhomes. Pacific Business News.

Molokai

The National Park Service has nixed the idea of expanding Molokai's Kalaupapa National Historical Park's boundaries within nearby Pelekunu and Halawa valleys because of opposition voiced at public meetings and during a comment period earlier this year. Maui News.

The National Park Service is seeking new members to appoint to the Kalaupapa National Historical Park Advisory Commission. Maui News.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Hawaii set to lose federal Safe Drinking Act funds, state #2 in military money, Affordable Care Act waiver makes Hawaii first, more on medical marijuana dispensaries, Punchbowl condo project opposed, sex offenders get special treatment, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2015 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Freshwater stream enters Pacific Ocean © 2015 All Hawaii News
The federal government is withholding $8 million — or all of the 2015 fiscal year funding that’s earmarked for repairing Hawaii’s drinking water infrastructure — because the Hawaii Department of Health continues to do a poor job of spending federal funds, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s Department of Health shouldn’t receive any more federal funds under the Safe Drinking Water Act until it cleans up its own act, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General said in a report made public Monday. Daily Caller.

Read full EPA report on Hawaii's drinking water infrastructure spending here.

Hawaii still ranked No. 2 in the nation in fiscal 2014 among states with the greatest military spending as a percentage of gross domestic product, but those expenditures slipped to $7.6 billion in 2014 from $8.1 billion the previous year, the Department of Defense said in a new report. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s first draft of an Affordable Care Act waiver proposal is the first of its kind in the nation. The state is seeking public input on a waiver to harmonize its relatively progressive Prepaid Health Care Act, which passed in 1974, with the federal health care law. Pacific Business News.

Protections Proposed for 49 Hawaii Species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to add 10 animals and 39 plants to the Endangered Species Act. Civil Beat.

Should lawyers be allowed to represent medical marijuana dispensaries that are legal under Hawaii state law but not under federal law? That’s the question the state Supreme Court is grappling with, and it’s asked for public input. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii’s record run of visitor arrivals and spending could be in jeopardy next year even though airlines are bringing more seats to the islands than ever before. Star-Advertiser.

While the visitor growth in August was not as strong as in previous months, Hawaii’s visitor industry continues to exceed 2014 records in spending and arrivals. Spending reached $10.3 billion for the first eight months of 2015 and contributed $1.1 billion in state tax revenue. West Hawaii Today.

Virgin America, AirAsiaX and Jin Air will begin operating flights between Hawaii and the West Coast and Asia by the end of the year, the Hawaii Tourism Authority says. Pacific Business News.

State lawmakers have confronted the issue of how to allow charitable giving by candidates in a way that creates a public benefit but doesn't give incumbents an unfair advantage over those seeking to challenge them politically. Maui News.

Treating Hawaii’s Sex Offenders: ‘Here, We Don’t Give Up on People’ Of the state program’s 800-plus “graduates,” only 20 have returned to prison after committing a new sex crime, a recidivism rate of slightly more than 2 percent. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Plans for a contentious condominium project on the makai slopes of Punchbowl crater will be subject to a public hearing Wednesday morning. Star-Advertiser.

Pearl Harbor was once known as Oahu’s “bread basket” because it was such an important fishing area, teeming with ocean life. But since the construction of the iconic U.S. military base, the pristine harbor has been marred by environmental disaster. Civil Beat.

The cost of a parking ticket and other traffic violations on the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus would significantly increase next summer under a proposal that would bring campus fines in line with citations from Honolulu police and state sheriff’s deputies. Star-Advertiser.

More than a year after a violent fight between a Honolulu police officer and his girlfriend was caught on surveillance video, the internal investigation is finally done. HPD Sgt. Darren Cachola was not indicted for domestic violence but his own department could hand down stiff punishment against the 19-year veteran of the force. Hawaii News Now.

Goto Construction has been contracted by the city to refurbish 15 playgrounds across Oahu, and they’re hoping to bring a new one online every week. KHON2.

Hawaii

NASA’s announcement Monday that it found evidence of liquid water on Mars was reassuring for a University of Hawaii at Hilo team hoping to select the landing site for the first manned mission to the red planet. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii Public Utility Commission has granted the request made by Parker Ranch subsidiary Paniolo Power Company, LLC to withdraw from the HEI-NextEra merger docket. Big Island Video News.

A trial begins today in a lawsuit that accuses the state Department of Land and Natural Resources of failing to properly oversee the Army’s use of ceded lands at the Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawaii island. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Kahului is one of the most tax-friendly places for retirees in Hawaiʻi, according to a recent study from SmartAsset, a New York-based financial technology company. Maui Now.

Kauai

Visitor expenditures on Kauai increased 15.5 percent (to $1.1 billion), which was boosted by the growth in visitor arrivals (up 4.5 percent to 802,554) and air seats into Lihue (up 5.2 percent to 473,200). Per person per day spending also saw a double-digit increase of 12.2 percent, which helped the island maintain its momentum for the first eight months of 2015. Garden Island.

The Department of Public Works used sand to fill holes at Kapaa Beach Park after an old cesspool was removed Monday morning. Garden Island.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Honolulu rail plan redo; lights, wind turbines killing island birds, state Health Department defies law, stops posting care home data; Navy vet can't raise flag; man arrested for marijuana dispensary; county drops drug-test requirements, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

courtesy Environmental Protection Agency
EJScreen lets you zoom in on environment
A new online mapping tool has been developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote environmental justice. The tool, called EJScreen, provides detailed information about pollution, traffic congestion, toxic spills, air quality, sources of water pollution and other environmental hazards, and combines this with census data to identify areas where there are high levels of poverty or where certain ethnic groups are concentrated. Star-Advertiser.

Despite a state mandate, the Hawaii Department of Health has stopped posting online the inspection reports for nearly 1,700 adult care homes and several other types of long-term care facilities that it oversees. Civil Beat.

A state license awarded to businessman Albert Hee to provide telecommunications services on Hawaiian homelands requires that Hee apply some of his profits to job training and education programs for Native Hawaiians, but Hee now says his company has never actually paid out any benefits under that provision. Star-Advertiser.

American Airlines said over the weekend that an Airbus A321 aircraft that flew from Los Angeles to Honolulu on Aug. 31 had not been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to make extended flights over the ocean to Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

We hear a lot about how much it costs to live in Hawaii.  But how much do people in the Islands make? Pacific Business News has a paycheck report. Hawaii Public Radio.

Lower gas prices mean big sales for big cars and one expert said these lower prices may stick around for a while. KHON2.

Oahu

Honolulu rail officials have spent just over $100 million in final design plans to build the second half of the island’s 20-mile transit project, but they’re not certain how much of that work they’ll ultimately use. So it’s unclear for now how much of that money will be wasted. Star-Advertiser.

Wednesday marks one year since Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed Honolulu’s first sit-lie bill into law, banning people from sitting and lying on Waikiki sidewalks 24 hours a day. The new law quickly shifted the landscape in the government’s handling of homelessness. Star-Advertiser.

On Oahu, many families are homeless because they couldn’t pay the rent. Experts say rent subsidies are a cost-effective way to keep families off the streets. Civil Beat.

A lawsuit over tainted rail votes and a new ethics complaint against the Ho‘opili development point up how deeply the Honolulu City Council resides in the pocket of Hawaii’s building industry. Star-Advertiser.

Going green is costing Honolulu millions of dollars. Some say the city would save more money if residents tossed recyclables in the rubbish. KITV4.

A strict homeowner's association policy in Kapolei has one Navy couple crying foul. They've been cited and could be fined $100 if they don't take the flag pole they installed on their front porch. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

Hawaii County will  no longer require a urinalysis or medical examination from people who get conditional job offers for positions that are not considered safety sensitive and do not fall under federal transportation safety regulations. Star-Advertiser.

A 58-year-old Mountain View man is facing 31 charges for allegedly operating an unlicensed medical marijuana dispensary out of his Fern Acres subdivision home. Tribune-Herald.

A community hall full of Ocean View residents were left without answers Friday evening as the developers of a massive commercial solar project failed to show for the meeting. West Hawaii Today.

Maui
SunEdison, owner of the Kaheawa Wind Projects I and II above Maalaea, is asking the state for permission to increase the number of Hawaiian hoary bats and nene that may be accidentally killed by its wind turbines. Maui News.

A failed merger between two Hawaii solar energy firms has led to the filing of dueling lawsuits, including the latest one that has Honolulu’s Solar Wave suing Maui’s Haleakala Solar for at least $500,000 for work done in a joint venture, according to the lawsuit filed in First Circuit Court in Honolulu. Pacific Business News.

The state is seeking reimbursement from the federal government for most of the $14.5 million it paid for 78.1 acres for a runway protection zone for Kahului Airport and has prepared a draft environmental assessment as part of that process. Maui News.

Hawaii regulators have ruled in favor of Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. Inc., giving the Honolulu-based firm a $327 million contract for work at Kahului Airport on Maui after the contract award had been protested by Honolulu’s Nan Inc. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

More than 100 endangered seabirds recently required care after falling from the sky due to lighting issues at Kokee State Park. Garden Island.

The Department of Parks and Recreation plans to dig up and open an out-of-service cesspool that may be leaking bacteria into the water at Kapaa Beach Park. Garden Island.

About a dozen chickens turned up dead on the Hawaiian island of Kauai earlier this week, and the Aloha State is determined to figure out why. Civil Beat.

Protesters were back outside of Hanalei Elementary School Friday and the number of students present in the combined kindergarten and first grade class has dwindled, according to parents. Garden Island.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Hawaii is the happiest state, legislator's racial slurs revealed, government stuck in a time warp, Kauai's only press shuts down, Abercrombie pushes public-private partnerships in Kona, plastic bag ban a success, minimum wage, GMO, election bills advance, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

surf surfing contest
Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi courtesy photo
People in Hawaii are the happiest and healthiest in the nation, according to an annual national survey released Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

State Rep. Faye Hanohano — unhappy with the paintings installed in her state Capitol office as part of a public exhibit — used racial and ethnic slurs in a tirade Monday, according to an email from a state exhibit specialist. Star-Advertiser.

Wednesday may have been the last day of recess for the full Hawaii Legislature, but for some lawmakers it was a marathon of voting on bills. Associated Press.

It could be up to voters to decide whether candidates have to actually live in the district they want to represent. And Hawaii could count military just like most everyone else does on the mainland — as residents, according to several measures before lawmakers. Civil Beat.

The first state minimum wage increase in six years became closer to reality Wednesday after lawmakers passed a bill mandating regular pay hikes through the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii small business owners are imploring lawmakers this session to make changes that will allow them the freedom to make a profit, reinvest in their business and employ more people. Instead, key committee chairs are planning to increase the minimum wage and add even more regulations. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii lawmakers are doing more this session than ever to plug a multi-billion-dollar hole in health and retirement benefits promised to thousands of county and state workers. Civil Beat.

Walking into the windowless office where payroll is processed for the state of Hawaii is like stepping back in time. Associated Press.

Earlier this month, opponents of Genetically Engineered Food lobbied State lawmakers to encourage them to pass legislation to require the labeling of GMO foods.   Today, workers from Hawai’I’s five GMO companies … the  producers of Hawai’i’s largest agricultural commodity … visited the Capitol to tell their story. Hawaii Public Radio.

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has introduced a bill she says will help avert defense cuts that are due to the continuing resolution and avoid the need for layoffs at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Star-Advertiser.

A proposal is making its way through the State Legislature, that would raise the age limit for foster kids who receive support. KHON2.

Part 4 of a 5-part series. Read all the stories in Civil Beat's special report, In The Name Of The Law.

The number of foreclosure sales in Hawaii during the fourth quarter of 2012 fell 11 percent compared to the year before, but the average sales price of a foreclosed home jumped 24 percent, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Some 3,585 Oahu families who receive rental housing subsidies have been notified that massive federal budget cuts set to kick in Friday could leave them without a roof over their heads. Star-Advertiser.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is suing the city and Waste Management of Hawaii Inc., the operator of the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Leeward Oahu, over gas emissions. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii senators are moving forward with a bill to direct the governor to purchase land owned by Turtle Bay Hotel and Resort on the North Shore. Star-Advertiser.

After hearing hundreds of complaints from riders who had longer waits for overcrowded buses, city leaders unveiled a plan Wednesday to reverse many of the cost-saving service changes for TheBus system that serves more than 200,000 riders daily. Star-Advertiser.

The company that oversees all police-initiated automobile tows for the city is continuing to overcharge motorists even though the city says it is closely monitoring the contract because of previous problems with overcharging, according to testimony at a hearing Wednesday and towing invoices reviewed by the Star-Advertiser.

Police disciplinary records are supposed to be released when an officer is discharged. But getting those records can be tough — and so expensive that most people likely can’t afford it — as Civil Beat has learned in researching this special report.

For some disabled students at Kipapa Elementary School, it was a nightmare of physical abuse, verbal assaults and emotional attacks. Hawaii News Now.

Chevron Corp.’s Hawaii operation is planning to develop a solar thermal demonstration project at its Kapolei refinery, which will be used to offset burning fossil fuels utilized to generate heat and steam for internal use. Pacific Business News.

Developer accused of ruining Hawaiian cultural site. Hawaii News Now.

Three bills aimed at clearing the homeless and their possessions from city sidewalks passed first reading at the Feb. 20 City Council meeting. Honolulu Weekly.

Hawaii

The first month of Hawaii County’s plastic bag ban seems to have been a resounding success, members of the county Environmental Management Commission learned Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

Five of the nine County Council members will travel to Washington, D.C., this week for the National Association of Counties legislative conference. Tribune-Herald.

Neil Abercrombie came to Kona on Wednesday to push one message: Hawaii needs public-private partnerships. West Hawaii Today.

Police Chief Harry S. Kubojiri gave an overview of crime and traffic trends in Hawaii County on Tuesday to members of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce. Tribune-Herald.

A state transportation official will hold a meeting next week to update the public on the status of an expansion project at Kona International Airport. Big Island Now.

The former home of Miko Meats is undergoing transformation to a new business incubator, creating jobs and building community in East Hawaii. Tribune-Herald.

Maui
A new county office building on the old Wailuku Post Office site moved a step closer to being built as a Maui County Council committee recommended approval of $1.5 million for planning and design. Maui News.

Maui Planning Commission members approved Tuesday a special management area permit for HFM Maui to build a 45,000-square-foot warehouse at 120 Kane St. in Kahului on the 2.5-acre former site of Maui Land & Pineapple's administrative and corporate offices. Maui News.

With a 6-3 vote, the state Land Use Commission determined that owners of Kihei property slated for retail--Pi'ilani Promenade and Maui Outlets--and apartment development violated three conditions of the original 1995 order that changed the permitted land use from "Agricultural" to "Urban." Maui Weekly.

Kauai

Kaua‘i is the first major Hawaiian island to not have a press. Starting with Friday’s edition, The Garden Island will be printed on O‘ahu Publication Inc.’s $80,000,000 state-of-the art printing facility launched in 2004 at Kapolei. Out of 42 staff, the new operations retained 17 workers.

The Kaua‘i Planning Commission on Tuesday approved an office building in Hanalei in the front portion of a highway-facing lot, despite the outcry of members of the Hanalei to Ha‘ena Community Association, who wanted the building far from the highway as possible. Garden Island.


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Hawaii DLNR sued over tropical fish-collecting, tax office loses records, Maui, EPA settle landfill pollution case, and plenty politics from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2012 all Hawaii News
Hawaii Moorish Idols (c) 2012 All Hawaii News
The Department of Land and Natural Resources should have conducted environmental reviews before issuing aquarium fish collecting permits, environmental groups and several Hawaii residents say in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Oahu’s 1st Circuit Court. West Hawaii Today.

Lawsuit: DLNR Must Study Effects of Aquarium Fish Trade on Hawaii Reefs. Civil Beat.

The nonprofit environmental-law organization Earthjustice on Wednesday filed a civil complaint in First Circuit Court in Honolulu against the state of Hawai‘i and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, seeking to stop all commercial collection of aquarium fish until the industry complies with the Hawai‘i Environmental Police Act. Garden Island.

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou have different philosophical approaches to reducing the federal deficit and national debt, with Hanabusa favoring steps already taken by Congress and President Barack Obama and Djou preferring more structural guarantees. Star-Advertiser.

The only Native Hawaiian ever elected to the U.S. Senate is about to retire. Civil Beat.

Candidates for Hawaii’s U-S Senate seat cast their ballots today during early walk-in voting. Hawaii Public Radio.

Honolulu's press corp waited patiently outside Honolulu Hale midday Wednesday for U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono to arrive for scheduled interviews. Civil Beat.

One after the other, the candidates for U.S. Senate filed in to Honolulu Hale on Wednesday, joining the line of walk-in voters, followed by cheering fans and well-wishers. KITV4.

A 1994 Chevy Silverado, the only vehicle in the state with an "OBAMA" personalized license plate will be auctioned off this weekend. KHON2.

Oahu

Unlike some of his predecessors, it’s doubtful Ben Cayetano will kiss the ring of U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye if he’s elected Honolulu mayor. Civil Beat.

In urban Oahu’s storied Distr. 20, a Green Party candidate who refuses corporate contributions is seeking to unseat the veteran Speaker of the state House of Representatives. Honolulu Weekly.

A World War II veteran who inspired many with his determination to vote even though he had end-stage liver cancer died Wednesday. Associated Press.

What's the in waters off Makua Valley, where the U.S. Army held live-fire military exercises for several years? The Army is now trying to find out by asking those who actually live in the area. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation has released a draft environmental assessment detailing its $600 million plan for modernizing Honolulu International Airport. Pacific Business News.

A state agency has decided to give the public an early look at tentative proposals from two developers competing to build a 650-foot residential tower in Kakaako that would soar above Honolulu's tallest existing buildings. Star-Advertiser.

A Coast Guard aircrew was forced to return to Barbers Point late Tuesday after someone shone a laser at their MH-65 Dolphin helicopter when it was two miles offshore of Oahu, officials said. Star-Advertiser.

Chinatown businesses are asking for increased police presence after a spate of burglaries in recent months. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

A contracted courier recently lost a bag containing tax documents filed by businesses and individual taxpayers with the Hilo and Kona state tax offices. Tribune-Herald.

Car trouble: Kenoi ticketed for talking on cellphone while driving Kim’s 2009 accident cost county $100K. West Hawaii Today.
Big Island hunters may soon be granted permission to kill axis deer. Tribune-Herald.

Geophysicists in Hawaii and Texas have come up with a mathematical model that could explain how Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes are linked yet have distinct, separate eruptions. Star-Advertiser.

Maui
Maui County has agreed to a $5.1 million settlement with federal officials about alleged clean air violations at its major landfill, including uncontrolled release of gases from rotting garbage. Star-Advertiser.


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today a $5.1 million settlement with the Maui County to address alleged air pollution violations at the Central Maui Landfill in Puunene, including the construction of new gas-collections systems and a wind farm. Maui News.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa today called a settlement reached between the county and the Environmental Protection Agency a “win-win.” Maui Now.

Dozens of luxury condominiums and hundreds of time-share interests at the financially troubled Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences at Kapalua Bay are headed for the auction block in December. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday took a few minutes to give its final approval to a bill setting bulk rates for bus passes for Kaua‘i Community College students. Garden Island.


Molokai

Hawaiian Airlines announced last week that their parent company, Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., will begin service to Molokai and Lanai sometime next year. Molokai Dispatch.

Molokai's iconic Kanemitsu Bakery remains closed, now for nearly four months, but the 75-year-old establishment's owner said work is nearly complete on improvements aimed at correcting health violations, and he hopes to reopen in time for the busy Thanksgiving holiday. Maui News.